


Cathy

by Spot_On60



Category: A-Team, The A-Team (2010), The A-Team - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2016-06-10
Packaged: 2018-07-12 03:21:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7083115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spot_On60/pseuds/Spot_On60
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Face was just as surprised as anyone to learn he had family.<br/>Warning - It's a sad one.<br/> <br/>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings means read at your own risk.</p><p> </p>
            </blockquote>





	Cathy

**Author's Note:**

> From a prompt on H/F group. What if Face finds out he fathered a child back when he was a teenager and that child now has one of her own, making Face a grandfather.  
> 

Sunrise was beautiful here along the East coast. The whisper light curtains fluttered at the bedroom window. Beyond, the tide had retreated. It was Temp's favorite time of day. When the ocean had yet to awaken its waves and it had left tide pools behind from the previous night.

He and Cathy would go for early morning walks along the shore. The tall man listing to the side holding the two-year-old's hand. She would stop at a pool and squat, chubby hands fisted, peering down into the puddle. It never took long to spot an ocean creature left behind in the night.

A squeal, pointed finger and some babbling for good measure saw her grandfather joining her low to point and chatter about the great find. Even as early as the age of thirty-eight his knees weren't what they used to be. Instead of a squat he would sit on one foot and tuck one knee under his chin. Hannibal never got over the sight of that length of leg folded in half yet still so elegant.

She would pop up and slap with those little flat feet to the next pool. Temp would struggle back to his feet and follow her. Sooner than later he would scoop his munchkin into his arms, a forearm acting as an improvised shelf for her to perch on. One leg straight one bent at the knee, he'd lean his hips forward and his shoulders back.

He was unaware of the beauty of his long lean silhouette, the wide shoulders and narrow hips, or of the effect it had on Hannibal. That and the vision of him with his girl, how naturally he took to nurturing. How beautiful he was in these impromptu displays of affection and learning. How Hannibal loved him.

But that was from another time, from before. Hannibal rolled in bed, draping his arm across to land on nothing. The spot beside him, Temp's spot, was empty and cold. He opened his eyes to the pillow and covers still in place having lost their purpose on that side of the bed. As it did most mornings, his grief overthrew him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~¥¥¥¥¥~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hannibal had turned himself in to put an end to the nightmare they had been living. Being on the run had taken its toll on him and his boys. His boys who were no longer boys; although, it's the way he would always think of them collectively, his boys.

A deal had been reached. None of the other three would carry a record. They were literally free and clear. He hadn't gotten off scott free. His crime had been pardoned. But he honestly didn't give a damn his record hadn't been expunged with the others. His two wishes had been granted. His boys had been cleared and Temp was with him.

It had been a bit of a shock, almost a let down that first year. As they reacclimated themselves to the life of free citizens. They tended to huddle as much as when they had been on the run. It was what they were used to as a source of support. Support dearly needed during the heady first few weeks of nonstop news coverage.

Face had done a fine job of hiding and investing their funds. He had kept strict accounting logs documenting earnings, investments and other cash flow. From the start he had treated the A-Team as a business, allocating funds to taxes, social security, pension etc. Each man had a nest egg allowing them breathing space as they decided what to do with the rest of their lives.

Surprisingly Murdock was the first to break from the group. He was welcomed back in the Army with open arms. Stationed once again at Benning, he became a much in demand flight instructor. All of the guys were happy for and proud of him. The structured lifestyle and easy access to the VA were the best things for him. And much to everyone's chagrin, he had met the lovely Capt. Wendy Fulton, another pilot, within a week of arriving on base.

BA had gone to visit his mother in Chicago and never came back. Though he tried convincing her to join him in his Lake Shore Drive high rise condo, she preferred to stay in the family home. She told him his father, gone all these years, wouldn't be able to find her if she moved from the house they shared so long ago.

That left Hannibal and Face alone in L.A. Hannibal hadn't been expecting Face to want to leave the California city, hadn't considered he would ever want to leave the state. But one afternoon while Hannibal watched the game on tv, Face's head in his lap, the younger of the pair had asked how John would feel about switching coasts.

"I hate it here," he stated emphatically.

"I thought you loved it here, being your hometown and all."

"Yeah, you'd think so. But now that Father Maghill is gone I have no ties. Most of my memories here are unhappy and stressful."

They had been discussing going into the business of investigating cybercrime. Temp had the computer knowledge and they both had superior tactical and strategically geared minds. Hannibal considered Temp's question, "If you're unhappy living here then we need to leave."

"I'm not trying to..."

"No, no. You don't need to explain. I understand. Frankly Temp, I don't care where we live. But now that I know you're not happy here, there's no reason to stay. And for what we're planning, I don't think it matters where we are. The world is ours, Kid. We could go anywhere."

"I love you, Beau."

Hannibal hadn't taken his eyes off the game through the conversation until now. He smiled down at the man who amazed him daily. Amazed him by wanting to be with him. Brushing Temp's hair back with his mighty paw he smiled down on him, "And I'm forever grateful to hear those words from you."

Temp huffed a little laugh, embarrassed as always when Hannibal spoke his simple thruths. He tilted his paperback up and continued reading about Louis, Lestat, Claudia and Armand. Hannibal was absorbed back into his game.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~¥¥¥¥¥~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hannibal could hear Cathy chattering away to herself in the room across the hall. She was such a good girl. Waking in the morning she entertained herself in her new big girl bed, having graduated from the crib a month prior.

She of course brought Hannibal's own daughter to mind. He and his ex-wife had lost Sarah to illness before she turned seven. He couldn't help but make comparisons. Where Sarah had a bold independent streak a mile wide like her parents, sweet Cathy preferred closeness. She was so much like her gentle grandfather.

Listening now Hannibal tried to decipher the gibberish. She had developed a language of her own. Hannibal likened it to putting a unique jumble to a covert Army code. Temp had understood every word of it. Where Hannibal would hear a bunch of nonsense, Temp would hear her ask for more juice in her green sippy cup. He would shake his head sometimes thinking they maybe conspiring against him and he wouldn't know.

It hurt waking in the morning. He so often dreamt of his love. Dreamt happy dreams of their time together only to wake to the crush of longing. Knowing he had to attend to Cathy was the only thing allowing him to break through the weight holding him in bed.

A stop in the bathroom then to the bedroom across the way. Though the words were foreign to his ear he put together she was singing Itsy Bitsy Spider by the way she was laddering her fingers above her face. When she heard him shuffle into the room she turned her head and smiled Temp's smile. It always jarred him. It always melted him. He thought to himself he was going to miss her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~¥¥¥¥¥~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hannibal had gone ahead to turn over the ticket for the valet parking. Looking back from where he had come he couldn't help smiling at the sight of his man escorting the prettiest girl in town. His six foot frame spinning around the edge of the door so he could hold it open for the toddler simply melted him. She was on the move and Temp needed to scoot to catch up to her and take her hand.

Sarah would have pulled away at this stage and pronounced a clear, "No!" But not Cathy. She was always happy to take Temp's, or even his hand when offered. She was just as likely to trip you up by darting ahead and shooting those hands upward, clasping and unclasping asking in an almost hesitant voice, "Up?" which was exactly what she was doing now.

Temp obliged by hoisting the child who sat on his forearm. "Da" pulled the skirt of her dress down over her ruffle covered butt. She nestled her head onto his shoulder and stuck one thumb in her mouth, then generously shared the other with her Da. It had become so common for her to cork a thumb between his lips he no longer flinched, giggled or smiled when it was proffered. He simply accepted it willingly as though the world's population all shared thumbs. Seeing it, however, never failed to bring a smile to "Hanboo's" face.

Reaching where Hannibal stood waiting for the car, Face landed a petit kiss on her forehead before smiling that smile at him. It was a smile reserved only for him. He dropped his eyes to the girl slipping into slumber and smiled a new smile. Hannibal had noticed it a couple of months back. Just as Face had a smile for him, he now had one just for her.

They usually kept displays of affection out of the public eye, but Hannibal couldn't help himself. He circled an arm around Face's shoulder and pulled them in for a hug. He all but jumped back when he drew a little "Oof" from the pip squeak. Both men chuckled. He sometimes forgot to make adjustments for the little one. She was in no position to absorb the firm embraces her grandfather took for granted.

Their car was brought around and Temp fastened the sleeping bundle in her car seat in the back.

"You driving?" John asked.

"Yep," Temp said clicking the back door closed before sending it home with a hip check.

The sun was just chasing the horizon as they headed home from meeting Murdock and Wendy. The couple were now engaged prompting Face and Hannibal to host them for dinner at a favorite eatery. They were just exiting the restaurant as Temp was about to climb in the driver's seat. "See you at the house," he called to them. They would be spending the next three days with John, Temp and Cathy.

They were in view as Temp clicked his seatbelt into place. He leaned forward looking through the passenger window to beam a smile their way. Hannibal noted a different look to Face and thought to himself _Has Murdock always had his own smile too?_ He huffed a bemused laugh at that. Murdock and Wendy waved. Hannibal lifted his hand to the window and Face lifted his fingers off the wheel as he pulled away from the curb.

"How in the hell did _he_ find _her_?" Face shook his head and glanced out his side window.

"She's great, isn't she?"

Face was steering with his right hand and nibbling the thumb of his left. He thought of the lovely diamond flanked by two emeralds situated on Wendy's ring finger. Moving his left hand to the wheel he glanced at his own wedding ring and smiled.

"What are you smiling about?"

"I'm just so happy for him," his smile spreading wider across his face. He gazed ahead, beyond the road. "Great sunset tonight, huh?"

"Beautiful."

"She was really good. Hardly fussed at all." He glanced in his rear view.

"She's always good."

"Well, usually." He thought of the first major hissy fit she threw the previous week over not wanting the clean sippy cup. No, she wanted the one that was halfway through the wash cycle in the dishwasher. There was no talking her out of it. He still couldn't get over the fact he had been stared down by a two-year-old.

"What do you mean?" John questioned.

Face's voice slid into a high pitched whine, "Wahn lello." He glanced out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh yeah," Hannibal recalled with a chuckle. "Where ya think that came from."

"Seriously? She get's it from you, ya big baby."

Hannibal huffed a light laugh at the thought he was probably right. Over the years Face had become calmer, more easy going. He had mellowed. Hannibal, however, hadn't changed much. Though never one prone to outbursts, he generally knew what he wanted. If what he wanted wasn't readily available it could take the efforts of mountain moving to dissuade, then convince him to take a different course. He understood occasionally there was a perfectly good reason one wanted a yellow sippy cup instead of a green one.

They were traveling West to the highway. After a short jog North they would again head East to their seaside home. Hannibal was considering his love and just opening his mouth with a retort when he saw Temp's face change.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~¥¥¥¥¥~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cathy sat in her high chair chasing Cheerios around the tray. Hannibal sat at the table with a cup of coffee. He scratched across his face and couldn't remember the last time he had shaved. He looked at the pile of newspapers accumulating in the corner and decided today wasn't the day he would read them, not like all the other days he said he would. No, today was the day he would pitch them all out.

"Think I'll even call to cancel the subscription."

Cathy regarded him with cherub lips and absently smashed an oat circle into the tray with her thumb.

"Think that's a good idea there, Cathy?"

She was noncommittal.

"I smell badly enough that I can no longer stand being in the same room with me." With that he stood and went around the back of the high chair. He took the Cheerio box from the counter and laid it flat on the tray of the chair. He picked up Cathy's sippy cup and handed it to her, "Here. Hold this." She held it between her two hands.

He felt underneath for secure purchase and lifted the entire chair. Cathy looked over the edge like she was on an amusement park ride, deciding it was better not to look down but forward as they made their way through the living room to the hall and the bathroom.

He left her in the chair in the hall. Pulling his T-shirt off he felt behind the door for his robe. Firmly tying the terry cloth closed around him he slid his sleep pants and briefs off leaving them as a puddle on the floor. Pouring more of the cereal on the tray he said, "I won't be long. Will only spend time on the nasty bits."

After showering he groped around for the robe he had pitched out of the shower much to Cathy's delight. Watching the long arm feeling about from behind the shower curtain sent her into uncontrolled giggles.

Hannibal shaved with his audience quietly looking on. "You probably need a hose down too," he said to the little girl as he slid the tray off the chair. He told her to stay more like she was a puppy than a child while he dumped the crumbs from the tray in the toilet. He took her sippy cup and held out his hands, "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~¥¥¥¥¥~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Face white knuckled the steering wheel and stomped on the brake with both feet. Hannibal looked over the dash and caught a glimpse of brown fur before his view was blocked by air bags. There was the sound of tortured metal and squealing tires. He was slammed into his seatbelt and could feel the car rotating, spinning counter clockwise.

When they came to a rest it was quiet inside the vehicle. Outside he heard a hissing. _Radiator_ he thought. But it was too quiet inside. He turned his head to Temp just as a little voice came from the back seat, "Da?"

"I'm here, Munchkin," Face replied. "You okay John?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I think so."

"Da?" There was a touch of panic building.

"It's okay, baby." Temp was working the door handle with no results. He twisted in the seat. "I'm pinned, John."

"Daaaa," Cathy was about to start crying.

"It's okay, Munchkin," they said in unison.

Hannibal was moving. He had his seatbelt off and was leaning over the console. The steering wheel was in Temp's gut and his left leg looked wrong.

A whine came from the backseat and Face asked, "Can you get out?"

Hannibal tried his door, it opened easily. Cathy was sniveling and about to lose it.

"I don't want to leave you in here."

"I'm okay, really. I'm just stuck." Cathy went into full wail. "Please John. Please get her out. I'll be fine."

Hannibal moved faster than he thought capable under the circumstances. He was out of the car and trying to open the locked back door in seconds. Temp couldn't have been more surprised when he was able to unlock the back from his mangled door. "Hannibal's coming, baby." He looked over his shoulder to see John leaning in the backdoor. "Got your phone, John?"

Before pulling the sobbing baby out of the car he checked his pockets, "Got it."

"Better call 911."

Hannibal pulled Cathy and fumbled for his phone dropping it on the ground. Picking it back up he walked away from the car. Face could hear him talking. He heard random words above Cathy's crying, "ambulance, trapped" lots of "okays", then, "I can't stay on. I have a toddler and I need to get back to my husband."

John's voice was getting nearer. He looked over to see him pocket his phone and cuddling Cathy. Out the front window he saw what appeared to be the demolished front end of his car. Beyond was the side of an SUV.

Cathy settled down as soon as Hannibal was off the phone. He held her securely and stroked his impossibly large hand compared to hers up and down her back. He was making his way back to the car when he stopped in his tracks.

He had looked up and saw a wide view of the accident. He didn't know what he had thought before, but what he was looking at now made his heart pound. Their car was spun around sideways in the road. An SUV with a crumbled front end was more than halfway across the center line.

He could see the driver's side of the hood of Face's prized ultimate driving machine had been accordioned. It was no wonder he had been pinned inside. "Come on baby. We're going to go sit with Da." There were several people milling around the front of the SUV. None of them approached the BMW.

John sat on the front passenger seat, one foot in one foot out. "How you doing, Kid?"

"I'm okay."

Cathy started struggling, reaching, opening and closing her fingers, "Da."

Hannibal tried keeping her back, "No, sweetheart. Da can't hold you right now."

She was winding up again.

"Lean over this way."

John pulled his other foot in the car leaning her toward Face.

"It's okay baby. There's no room to hold you, but you can give me a big hug. Hug, baby."

She understood hug and wrapped her pudgy arms around his neck.

"That's my girl. I love you, Munchkin." His eyes shifted to John's. "I love you too."

Cathy let go and settled back into Hannibal's arms as they waited for the emergency responders to arrive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~¥¥¥¥¥~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well?" Hannibal asked as Face walked in the door.

"It's positive. We're not just related." Temp took in a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair as he let it back out. "I'm a grandfather."

Hannibal had to smile. "How do you feel about that?"

"I don't know. Happy, scared, shocked. It's weird to be a grandfather without ever having been a father."

Hannibal thought he looked a little shocky. He stood from his desk and headed for the kitchen. When he returned he carried a beer in one hand with another tucked under his forearm. In his other hand he held a filled shot glass. Handing over the Southern Comfort he said, "Down the hatch, Kid."

Face took it willingly.

Hannibal led the way to the balcony of their L.A. condo, passing the beer bottle to Temp as he went by. They both leaned on the railing forearms supporting them. It took a long few minutes before Face spoke.

"Is it crazy that I want her?" He was looking out over the city.

Hannibal's gaze was in the same direction. "Don't think it's crazy at all, Babe."

More minutes ticked by. "Will we really be able to manage it?"

"I don't see why not. They let far less competent people than us take their babies home from hospitals everyday. Being adopted by her grandfather is the best possible solution." Hannibal took a pull off his beer.

"Are you sure I'm not asking too much of you? This will turn our lives upside down."

"Temp, you and I together and alone have been through a lot more trying events than raising a baby. This will be a walk in the park compared to what we've done."

"Wish I could have done something for her mother." He was beginning to pick at the label on the beer bottle.

"Don't do that to yourself, Babe."

John surprised himself by how calm he was feeling about the whole situation. When they first received word of the existence of Temp's grandchild, John treated it like a joke. Convinced it was a plan to somehow cash in on the Team's celebrity.

Receiving more details, Temp acknowledged it was feasible. He had indeed slept with a young woman by the name of Cindy back when he was fifteen. She had been older than him, mid twenties. It had only been a couple of times and meant nothing to him. Couldn't even remember what she looked like. By the time Cindy's baby was born, he had lied about his age and joined the Army.

Not that it mattered he was in the Army. Cindy had essentially used him as a sperm donor, nothing more. She had set out to get pregnant thinking it would be a good source of income. She hadn't done her research. Turns out you can't get enough government aid to fully cover all the expenses involved in child rearing, much less make a living. No, she wasn't all that bright.

So there she was with a low paying job, food stamps and a kid. Cindy had struggled through raising a daughter who couldn't have made more bad decisions if they handed out awards for them. Dropping out of school, hooking up with a bike gang, becoming more and more dependent on drugs. Carrie was never so proud as when she could boast about having a criminal for a father.

Luckily for Cathy, twenty-year-old Carrie managed to pull her shit together long enough to deliver a healthy baby. But that was where it ended. The man renting the room next door to her above the bar finally let himself into Carrie's room. He'd been listening to the unnerving sound through the paper-thin wall of a baby crying for over two hours straight.

Having never touched a child in his life, he picked the kid up out of the dresser drawer and bounced it in his arms as he told it, "Looks like your mamma done fucked up and left you alone in this world." He took the kid to the bar owners and informed them they had a dead tenant upstairs.

The child was placed with DCFS. Cindy's name and number had been found amongst the dead girl's belongings, but when contacted, Cindy wanted nothing to do with raising another brat. The first one turned out so bad she just couldn't put herself through that again.

The DCFS caseworker kept her mouth shut. She didn't mention the fact children didn't raise themselves. Cindy had told her to try the grandfather, Templeton Peck. One of the guys in the A-Team.

Hannibal knew if the DNA test came back positive there would be no way he himself, much less Face, would allow the child to be raised under the care of Child Services. Neither of them could stomach the thought of this foundling growing up the same as her grandfather, another foundling, had thirty some years ago.

It had taken ten months from the time of their first contact to the day Face received the test results. By then the baby was fif teen-months-old and living in a foster home. Their attorney, Harvey Michaels, thought they had an extremely strong case for adopting the child and the law was on their side.

Although, a new caseworker was not in their court. He was making it his mission to stop the child's adoption. No one could convince him those two homos weren't pedophiles. He knew what he knew and wasn't going to be confused by the facts. Unfortunately his objections would result in the court case being drawn out longer.

With the DNA results in, Harvey successfully argued there was no legal reason for the child to not be turned over to her biological grandfather immediately. The arguments of the caseworker held no merit and were based on inaccurate research and speculation. The judge agreed and there was one more little girl in the world with the last name "Peck". The three of them went directly from the courthouse to Babies-R-Us to buy a crib and diapers.

Though somewhat apprehensive of John in the beginning (Temp guessed it had more to do with his size than anything) Cathy took to Face from the get-go. John just shook his head convinced the baby somehow knew. Within two months the family was headed across the country looking forward to moving into their new house on the Atlantic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~¥¥¥¥¥~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BA was shaking his head, "You just need some time to regroup, man."

"You don't know BA. You don't know what it's like. I just don't know. I don't know how I'll go on without him." Hannibal was sitting with his old friend who had flown in from Chicago a second time to help out however he could. It was Cathy's nap time and they were drinking iced tea on the back deck.

BA looked out over the sand to the sheltered cove. He smiled at a memory. "Faceman sure loved being by the ocean." He heard Hannibal's breathing hitch. When he looked over his eyes were filled and the tears were just starting to breach. "I'm sorry, Hannibal. I didn't mean to make you cry." He covered the grieving man's hand with his own.

They sat in silence for a few moments listening to the lapping on the shore. "Hannibal, I'll do whatever you need. I mean that." He squeezed his Colonel's hand. "You think about it and tell me. And I don't want to hear any 'I can't ask you to do that' bullshit. I owe you my life, man. I can honestly say i wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for you. So whatever you want I will do."

"Thank you BA. But I need to work it out for myself." He wiped his cheeks with the heel of his hand.

"I understand that. It don't mean you can't have help." BA leaned forward to ensure he had Hannibal's full attention. "You want me to stay here with you, I'll stay as long as you need me."

Hannibal jumped in, "You can't do that BA. You have a business to run."

"I _can_ do that. My business runs itself," referring to his growing chain of mechanical engineering and fabrication shops. "I trust my managers. They take care of things just fine when I'm gone. You want me to stay and help you with the little one, I'm here."

He gave that a moment to sink in. "If you need me to take her back to Chicago for a while I will. She can come back as soon as you say the word." He looked out to the water again to put his thoughts together. "But Hannibal, if you truly want to give her up, and I'll get on my knees if I have to, let me have her. You know Mamma and me, we'll give her a good home. I just can't imagine Face's granddaughter being raised by strangers."

Hannibal wanted to tell him he wasn't a bad person for wanting to give her up. He wanted him to know it would be best for both of them if she were to go to a new home. "I don't want....I can't put into words...."

"Hannibal, I'll support whatever you decide for you and her. All I ask is if you decide you just can't keep her, you let me and Mamma take her." He took some deep breaths. "You take your time thinking about what you want. I'm here for at the very least, the next six days. And I can be here for as long as you want."

"Thank you, BA."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~¥¥¥¥¥~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you alright?!" It was Murdock.

What the hell was he doing here? It took Hannibal a moment to put together why the pilot was there with them. "We're all okay. Face seems to be pinned though."

"You okay, Facey?"

"Yeah, Buddy. I'm ready to get out of here now though." Face had his head tipped back, leaning on the headrest. "My hip is getting kinda sore. Need to move." He squirmed a little in his seat and hissed. Hannibal and Murdock could both see the movement had hurt him. Rolling his head to the side, his eye's met Cathy's. She was sitting quietly with her head on John's shoulder, thumb in her mouth. Extending his hand, he ran his knuckles down her soft cheek. "Hey Munchkin." She held up the other thumb to him. "Aww, thanks my girl, but I can't reach it."

John leaned her toward her Da and she stuck the thumb in his mouth. They could hear a siren in the distance. After a moment Face told her, "That's enough, baby." Then to John, "Maybe you should take her out of here now."

"I'll take her," this from Murdock who was crouching next to Hannibal's open car door.

John turned her toward the pilot who had his hands out in an invitation. She turned her head away and grabbed Hannibal with both of her little fists. Wendy saw the interaction and knelt down beside Murdock and smiled wide. "Hey sweet girl. Will you come sit with me?" Cathy had a thumb back in her mouth when she turned her head back. Wendy extended both hands and asked her again with her eyes and smile.

Hannibal thought it was as though Wendy was a child sucking magnet the way Cathy so readily left his arms. Wendy told her, "We're just going to stand over here where you can still see your Da, okay, baby girl?" Cathy reached up to touch one of the curls around Wendy's face.

"The ambulance and fire truck are here," said Murdock as he stood. "I'll go talk to them."

Hannibal had taken Face's hand. He noted Face had closed his eyes. "You still okay, Kid?"

"I'm feeling woozy."

The windows were suddenly illuminated, flooded with light and it occurred to John how dark it had become. "Help is here, Babe. They'll get you out of here in no time."

He was alarmed when Temp opened his eyes and asked, "Where am I, John?"

"We were in a car accident."

Temp closed his eyes again, "Will you take me home now?" 

"The fire department is here to get you out, okay?"

Nothing.

"Can you hear me, Babe?"

Temp made no response. John saw perspiration had popped out on his forehead and noticed his hand had gone noticeably cooler.

Hannibal looked up and saw a cop looking in the driver's side window. He heard an unfamiliar voice behind him, "Sir. Are you able to get out of the car?"

Hannibal looked around, "Me? Yeah."

As he started to turn away to get out, Face squeezed his hand hard. "Kiss me, John."

Hannibal leaned in and kissed him just on the corner of his mouth. When he leaned back Temp hadn't turned his head or opened his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~¥¥¥¥¥~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hannibal could hear Murdock crying as he spoke on the phone. Wendy had offered to call BA in Chicago to tell him what had happened, but Murdock felt it should come from him or Hannibal, and the Colonel was in no condition to make the call.

"He was talking and saying he was fine and just wanted to get out of the car. Oh god Bosco, he was gone before they could even begin to cut him out.... Yeah.... Yeah.... Leg fracture severed his femoral artery. The bone blocked it, but apparently he moved and ... and... He bled out sitting there and we didn't even know it." He was sobbing again. Gathering himself back together he continued, "A dog or coyote ran in the road. Facey hit the breaks and missed it, but the SUV swerved around it right into their car. Face's side took the hit. ..... Yeah, head on."

"He's in shock. Doc gave us sedatives for him, but he won't take 'em. Facey was the only one who could get him to take anything like that."

He paused, listening. "She doesn't know what's going on. She doesn't understand. She keeps asking for Da. .... That's what she called him, Da." He sniffed a few times and said, "I can't believe he's gone." He was quiet for a few seconds then said, "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

He hung up and broke down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~¥¥¥¥¥~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Murdock and Wendy had been able to extend their stay to six days. BA had flown in the day after the accident with Mamma B in tow. She refused to be left behind when her boys needed her. In her case, Hannibal also fell under the title of "boys".

She and Wendy took over not only caring for the men, but also the baby. They made notifications to the Army plus Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, NewYork, Charleston, DC and Boston area news stations and papers. They tracked down and contacted a nearby crematorium, in keeping with Face's wishes. They arranged the wake and a Catholic memorial mass.

Hannibal had been taken to a private room at the funeral home having been overwhelmed by the number of attendees. It seemed anyone who had contact with the former Lieutenant felt compelled to pay their respects.

Army personnel attended, both current and retired. A myriad of people whom he served with from soldiers to military doctors to cooks. Generals Decker and Fulbright were followed shortly by Capt. Charissa Sosa, who sat with Hannibal for twenty minutes, speaking low, holding his hand. She kissed the top of his head and stopped by both Bosco and Murdock telling them how sincerely sorry she was for their loss before slipping away.

A troop of elderly nuns from California made the trip together. There was a veritable Who's Who of A-Team clients. John was surprised to see people from the little village where their new home was located well represented.

Hannibal had been adamant Cathy not attend. Not only was she not old enough to understand, he didn't want to put her on display. Mamma B and Wendy took shifts. While one was at the wake, the other was home with the toddler. Wendy felt strongly Mamma B should attend the service and stayed home with the baby then as well.

Then it seemed as quickly as everyone descended everyone was gone with a promise from BA he'd be back in a week, leaving Hannibal and Cathy alone with an ever growing pile of unread newspapers.

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Bosco had been with them for ten days, not only helping with day to day chores, but also estate issues: bank accounts, a life insurance policy Face had taken out with Cathy as the beneficiary, accident reports, car insurance claims, etc. The two men had gone through every inch of the house dusting, vacuuming, washing and the like. They had gone through Cathy's clothes and filled a bag for the Salvation Army of items she had outgrown. Although, Hannibal wasn't ready to do the same with Temp's.

They were running low on diapers. With Hannibal asleep on the sofa, BA packed up the kid and headed for the store. Hannibal woke disoriented and more than a little panicked in an empty house. He calmed after reading the scrawled note from BA saying they had gone to the store and they would probably lunch out so as not to disturb his nap.

Hannibal found himself wandering. The last few weeks had been such a whirlwind and this was the first time he was truly alone since losing Temp. The house was in some ways too quiet without the movements of an active toddler. Yet it was also much too loud. The house itself making noises he had always attributed to the baby or Face.

He went out to the deck, but found without Cathy's company he felt he would collapse into himself for the loneliness of his loss. It was lunchtime, yet without the baby there to prepare a meal for he had little interest in preparing anything for himself. He didn't like being alone here. This was meant to be their happily ever after home. But it couldn't be now. Not with the Templeton Peck shaped hole in his heart. Maybe after BA and Cathy headed for Chicago he would have a realtor come out and he'd put the place on the market.

An hour later and he was checking an e-mail Murdock had sent him with the subject, "Look what I found." Hannibal gasped a small breath when he saw the picture. It was taken on the front steps of the beach house where they had all spent a weekend a couple of years before returning to the desert for the last time. Before everything went to shit.

It was of the two of them, John and Temp. John was looking into the camera, Temp was sitting between John's legs looking off to the side. His young lover was so beautiful in it. He'd framed it and had it in their bedroom in the house outside Benning. It was his favorite picture of Temp and never thought he'd see it again.

He was startled when the front door opened and mixed with the sounds of those little feet slapping on the floor was that voice, "Hanboo! Hanboo!" followed by unintelligible babbling. She had a story to tell and an audience in Hannibal to tell it to. Her interpretive dance moves only seemed to confuse the issue until she got to the very end, pointing to a framed photo of Face that sat on the end table and announcing "Da!"

She stood staring at Hannibal as though she were waiting on a comment. When none was forthcoming from the man who didn't have a clue what she was talking about the bottom lip of that beautiful cherub mouth began quivering. Within thirty seconds she completely fell apart.

John quickly scooped her up as she carried on blathering and crying ending what were beginning to sound to John like sentences with, "Da."

BA walked in the room. Taking in the scene he asked, "What happened?"

"I don't know." Hannibal felt lost and incompetent. She will be so much better off without him he thought to himself.

She was calming down from wailing to shuddering breaths and was able to put her thumb in her mouth without choking.

"She came in excited, trying to tell me something, but I just don't understand her the way Temp did." She was again quiet, head on his shoulder sucking her thumb, staring at nothing. "Sometimes I wish she could draw me a picture."

At the word "picture" her head popped up and she again pointed to Temp's photo. "Da." She was squirming, Hannibal's cue to put her down. She went to Temp's photo once more, "Da!"

"Do you want a picture of Da?" The kid looked like she would pee her pants. She held one pudgy hand in the other, crouched down on the floor beaming from ear to ear then popped up like a jack-in-the-box.

"She wants a picture of her Da," he said to Bosco in case he wasn't following.

"I know what else she wants, Hannibal," the big guy said.

"Enlighten me."

"When we were in the drugstore we went down the aisle with the picture frames. That's when she started carrying on."

Hannibal looked down at the miniature human who was watching them closely. "Come on, Kiddo. Let's get you a picture." He presented one finger for her to grasp which she did willingly. To BA he asked, "Got the keys?"

"Sure Boss," he said handing over the ring.

"Where were you?"

"Walgreen's."

"We'll be back in a little while."

 

It was after three before Cathy had any semblance of a nap. She and Hannibal set the photo of Da he had scanned and printed in a place of honor, right next to her bed.

When they had turned into the aisle in Walgreen's displaying various frames, she had gone directly to the frame that was now sitting in her room. Must have seen it while out with BA. It was white with a fat ceramic pony in one corner.

Hannibal had picked out a frame for himself. He too had a new bedside photo. It glanced through his thoughts he would probably spend as much time studying his as Cathy will spend on hers.

"What's she doing back up?" BA was asking half an hour after she had been put down for her nap.

"Don't want her up all night."

While the two men finished watching the game a somewhat groggy little one sat between them on the sofa playing with the stuffed octopus her Da had given her. With the game over the three migrated to the kitchen to decide on a plan of action in regards to dinner.

Hannibal opened the refrigerator and absently said, "Well sweetheart, what will it be tonight?"

She gave her opinion on the matter while bouncing her octopus left and right across the seat of one of the kitchen chairs.

"Okay. Grilled cheese sandwiches it is," Hannibal said reaching for the cheese and butter.

Cathy prattled away about something else.

"Will you get that for her, BA?"

"Get what?"

"Juice in her green sippy." Hannibal was crouched down digging the grill pan out from the bottom drawer of the oven.

"How do you know that's what she wants?"

Hannibal was standing again, turning the flame on under the grill. "Because she just asked for it."

"Since when do you understand what she's saying? All I heard was a bunch of jibber jabber."

The question brought Hannibal up short. He didn't have an answer.

They both looked down at the pee wee. She was looking back and forth between the two of them, clutching her octopus close to her chest. Then looking directly at her Hanboo she ever so slightly turned and tipped her head adding a shy smile.

BA felt a tremor. "She looks just like Faceman when she does that."

 

After dinner and wash up they retired to the deck to listen to the lapping of the ebbing tide. It didn't take long before Cathy had climbed in Hannibal's lap, plugging her mouth with a thumb and fell asleep.

"I'm going to put her to bed."

"Okay Boss."

Though he tried not to disturb her when he stood, she roused and replaced the thumb which had slipped from her mouth. Walking through the living room she softly said, "Hanboo."

"Time for you to go to bed, sweetheart."

She nuzzled in closer and worked her free thumb past Hannibal's lips. His eyes threatened to overflow. He changed her into her jammie's and put her to bed, covering her with the blanket.

She looked up to the photo of Temp before her eyes slid closed and murmured, "Da."

Hannibal sighed as he turned to leave the room. By the time he reached the doorway she was fast asleep.

Crossing the hall to his own room he sat on the edge of the bed and took the newly framed photo in hand. "How did this happen to us, Babe?"

He went to the kitchen and poured himself a scotch then selected a cigar from the humidor in the living room. Joining BA on the deck he didn't sit. Instead, he stood at the edge of the planks and puffed his cigar to life. He looked out to the little cove and took a sip of scotch.

"She won't be going back to Chicago with you."

 

 

 

 

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**Author's Note:**

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